Step into Africa, Kalahari-style

Fingertip grooves on walls and earthy colors, tribal masks and wooden carvings, skyways, waterways and music with a jungle safari beat welcome guests to Kalahari Resorts and Conventions on Route 250 south of Sandusky.

Many themed restaurants and shops satisfy cravings from breakfast and burgers to casual fine dining.

“The Candy Hut features hand-dipped chocolates, and I must say I think it’s the best chocolate around,” Weber said. “I’ve tried lots of chocolate from Columbus to Cleveland to Indiana. And this is by far the best.

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“Our owner, Todd Nelson, has a passion for food,” Weber said. “It’s big and overwhelming. One of our mantras is: ‘Go big or go home.’ And it carries over into our food. Even the cookies are huge.”

The indoor waterpark covers 173,000 square feet with 22 attractions such as slides, wading pools with brightly colored dolphins and sea animals — even a happy crab — for tots, a 12,000-square-foot wave action pool, and Shooting Star Water Basketball.

“The orange tube is the Zip Coaster,” Weber said. “It’s like a water roller coaster. We also have two FlowRiders. Those are like surfing simulators. You can knee board or belly board on them.”

Beside each pool is a white chair lift for handicap accessibility, Weber said.

What would a trip to an African safari experience be without a sun tan? A transparent Texlon roof allows visitors to tan in the indoor waterpark, Weber said, which stays a balmy 84 degrees.

“A family can rent a cabana for a day as well,” Weber said. “It’s definitely a nice retreat from all of our winter vortexes that we keep having.”

Weber’s favorite spot in the Kalahari experience is Spa Kalahari and Salon.

“The waterpark is fantastic, don’t get me wrong,” Weber said. “But I prefer the spa. It’s very relaxing and tranquil here. This zebra was carved from one piece of wood. I just think it’s so cool. The details are just awesome.

“There are pedicure and manicure stations, places for hair and makeup, and treatment areas. We do massages, scrubs, body wraps and facials. It’s so quiet and tranquil in here. I just love it. I would love to bring this home to my living room.

“This is my favorite. It smells like cake batter,” Weber said. “What kid wouldn’t want their hair to smell like cake batter? We have robes and scarves. I think the little girls’ tutus are so cute.”

Near the hotel front desk, Brain Shanle, general manager of Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, encourages a group of about 15 kids and moms to help teach Floyd, a 5-year-old macaw, how to talk.

“On the count of three, everybody say, ‘Hello,’” Shanle said. They did, and Floyd cocked his head. “He’s listening. This time say it a louder.”

In the same area, Shanle bottle-fed Reggie, an 11-week-old Bengal tiger cub.

“These animals are like education ambassadors for their relatives in Africa,” Weber said.

The game area, with flashy colors and bright lights, boasts the most arcade games per square feet in Northwest Ohio, too, Weber said.

“It’s like a kiddy Las Vegas,” she said.

In an outdoor area, which is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Kalahari offers a restaurant, bar and a zoo, with 150 animals, including giraffes, ostriches, warthogs, camel rides, and a stingray exhibit.

“You can pet, feed and swim with the stingrays,” Weber said. “For the Giraffe Experience, you’re on a platform, so you can see eye-to-eye with the giraffes. You can pet and feed them. You can give them a big carrot stick. Their tongues are black. They stick their big, long tongue out to take the carrot stick.”

“You can zip-line around the entire waterpark area,” she said. “It’s kind of cool.”

The Kalahari Convention Center covers 215,000 square feet, Weber said. And the resort offers 884 guest rooms, not to mention six Nyumba Entertainment Villas that hold up to 22 people with a pool table, a kitchenette, and a large screen television. One unit is a duplex that shares a common door and holds up to 44 people.

“They’re perfect for family reunions, and bachelor and bachelorette parties,” Weber said.

In the TripAdvisor’s 2014 Travelers’ Choice Awards, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions was named the 13th best family-friendly hotel, Weber said, adding families escaping winter for spring break generally stay from two to five nights.

Many options abound for a visit to Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, from day passes and birthday parties to adventure packages, Weber said.

“The most popular package is the Fantastic Family Get Away,” Weber said. “We’re a flex rate resort, so our prices vary,” she said. “We have something for everyone in the family, from the tiniest tot to great-great-grandmother.

“When families go home we want them to say, ‘Remember when we went to Kalahari? It was so great,’ ” Weber said. “The kids eating the giant sundae and watching Dad on the FlowRider. For some reason kids think watching their dad on those is funny. And Mom finally getting a little time by herself, relaxing in the spa.